Article sorting apparatus



R. T. SMITH Nov. 7, 1967 ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l 7 Filed Dec. 7, 1965 INVENTOE BY n.9d@

' ATTQENEY Nov. 7, 1967 R. T. SMITH ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1965 Nov. 7, 1967 R. T. SMITH 3,351,191

ARTICLE SORTING APPARATUS F-iled Dec. 7, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 SUPPLY 54: I 3

l ELELTE\AL'/ POWEE E souPE 22 H SUPPLY ELETIEICAL POWER H5 SO LIE LE United States Patent 3,351,197 ARTECLE SORTING APPARATUS Richard '1. Smith, Logan, Utah, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 512,062 6 Claims. (Cl. 209-74) This invention relates to article sorting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles.

In the manufacture of certain terminal blocks used extensively in telephone switching systems, it is standard practice to position elongated terminals in a mold and to mold a body about the terminals to form one of the terminal blocks. Terminals which are bent such that they will not fit into the mold, however, are discarded.

Heretofore, the terminals have been positioned in the mold manually one at a time and a determination as to the bent terminals which should be discarded has been accomplished by attempting to position the terminals in the mold, or in the case of extremely bent terminals, by visual inspection. this procedure is relatively time consuming and inefficient for various reasons. For example, frequently a terminal which can be positioned only partially into the mold, becomes jammed in the mold and can be removed only with great difiiculty.

Accordingly, it has been proposed that a machine be provided for feeding the terminals into the mold automatically. In this connection, prior to feeding the terminals to the mold it is necessary to provide apparatus for sorting the terminals to separate out those which are bent such that they would not fit into the mold, and it is to apparatus for this purpose that the subject invention relates.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles.

A further object of this invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles to separate out those articles not having a desired characteristic.

A still further object of this invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for sorting elongated electrically conducting articles to separate out those articles which are bent beyond preselected limits.

In accordance with the invention, apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles comprises a sensing circuit which includes a pair of electrically conducting members. The members normally are insulated from one another and define a substantially tubular passageway of preselected dimensions representative of a desired characteristic of the electrically conducting articles, such that one of the articles which does not have the desired characteristic, upon being fed into one end of the passageway by a feeding mechanism, engages the members to form an electrical connection therebetween to close the sensing circuit. The closing of the sensing circuit energizes an ejector mechanism which then ejects the article from the passageway out of the one end thereof before a next succeeding article is fed into the passageway by the feeding mechanism.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, apparatus for sorting elongated, electrically conducting articles comprises a sensing circuit which includes a pair of electrically conducting members. The members normally are insulated from one another and define a substantially tubular passageway of preselected dimensions such that one of the articles which is bent beyond preselected limits, upon being fed into one end of the passageway by a feeding mechanism, engages the members to form an electrical connection therebetween to close the sensing circuit. The

closing of the sensing circuit causes energization of an air jet which blows the defective article from the passage way out of the one end thereof before a next succeeding article is fed into the passageway by the feeding mechanism.

This invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial elevational view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. -2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electricalpneumatic control arrangement for a portion of the apparatus; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified form of an electrical-pneumatic control arrangement.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it is seen that the illustrated embodiment of the invention is designed to sort elongated, electrically conducting terminals 11 of a type used in the manufacture of terminal blocks (not shown) which find extensive use in telephone switching systems. More specifically, as the terminals 11 are being fed vertically downward by gravity to a mold (not shown) used in the manufacture of the terminal blocks, the subject apparatus separates out those terminals which are bent beyond preselected limits such that they would not fit into the mold. The terminals 11 which are not defective, however, continue vertically downward through the apparatus to a mechanism, which is not shown and which forms no part of this invention, for positioning the terminals in the mold. Subsequently, a body is molded about the terminals 11 in the mold to form one of the terminal blocks.

Each of the terminals 11 which is bent beyond the preselected limits is detected by a sensing circuit 12, which is shown schematically in FIG. 4, and a plurality of which are provided in the illustrated embodiment of the invention for processing a plurality of series of the terminals simultaneously. Detection of the bent terminal 11 by the sensing circuit 12 causes energization of a respective one of a plurality of bent terminal ejecting mechanisms 13, one of which also is illustrated schematically in FIG. 4.

Each sensing circuit 12 includes a first electrode in the form of a vertically extending bar 14 of an electrically conducting material, such as steel, which is embedded in insulation 16 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in parallel relationship with respect to the conductor bars 14 of the other sensing circuits. The insulation 16, which may be epoxy cement, is cast in a cut-out portion of a vertical support member 17. A normally vertical, pivoted door 18, which also is of an electrically conducting material, such as steel, forms a second electrode which is common to each of the sensing circuits 12.

The conductor bar 14 of each sensing circuit 12 is connected by an electrically conducting screw 19 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and a lead 21 to one side of a solenoid 22 FIG. 4) of the respective bent terminal ejecting mechanism 13, and the other side of the solenoid is connected to one side of an electrical power source 23 for the several sensing circuits 12. More specifically, the conductor screw 19, which may be of brass, has an inner end portion thereof threaded into the conductor bar 14 and extends through an insulator 24 in the vertical support member 17 so that an outer end portion of the screw projects beyond the support member. Rotation of the screw 19 is prevented by a lock nut 26, and the lead 21 is connected to the outer projecting end portion of the screw by a second nut mem- Patented Nov. 7, 196:?

3 her 27. The pivoted door 18 is connected by a lead 28 to ground.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the conductor bar 14 of each sensing circuit 12 is recessed slightly within the insulation 16 so that when the pivoted door 18 is in a closed position, as shown in the drawing, it is insulated from the conductor bar by an air gap 31, as for example, on the order of two to three thousandths of an inch. The conductor bar 14 also is provided with a vertically extending semi-circular groove 32 and the pivoted door 18 is provided with a plurality of vertically extending, semicircular grooves 33. The groove 32 in the conductor bar 14 cooperates with a respective one of the grooves 33 in the pivoted door 18, when the door is in its closed position, to define an upper portion of a tubular vertical passageway 34 having transverse dimensions such that one of the terminals 11 which is bent beyond the abovernentioned preselected limits, upon being fed into the upper end of the passageway, makes sufficient physical and electrical contact with the bar and the door to complete an electrical connection therebetween, thereby closing the sensing circuit 12 to energize the solenoid 22 of its associated bent terminal ejecting mechanism 13.

The terminals 11 which are not bent beyond the preselected limits, however, travel vertically downward through the upper portion of the tubular passageway 34 without engaging between the conductor bar 14 and the pivoted door 18 with sufiicient physical and electrical contact to close the sensing circuit 12. These terminals 11 continue downward through a lower portion of the passageway 34, including a part defined by opposed semicircular grooves in the vertical support member 17 and a U-shaped saddle member 36 secured to the support member, and ultimately feed through vertical tubes 37 to the above-mentioned mechanism for positioning them in the terminal block mold.

The electrically conducting door 18 is pivoted adjacent its lower end by means of mounting pins 38 between laterally spaced upstanding leg portions of the U-shaped saddle 36, which may be of a suitable electrically insulating material, if so desired. The door 18 is pivotable counter-clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, into a closed position in which it is in opposed relationship with respect to the conductor bars 14, and is pivotable clockwise, as viewed in this figure, into an open position with respect to the bars, for the removing of jammed terminals 11 from the tubular passageways 34. The door 18 is retained in its closed position by a screw 39, which also may be of an electrically insulating material, if so desired, and which is mounted in a depending lug 41 on a horizontally swingable hinged block member 42.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the terminals 11 are fed into the upper ends of two adjacent ones of the tubular passageways 34 from a first multitrack vibratory feeder 43, which is located on the lefthand side of the apparatus, as viewed in FIG. 2, through feed tubes 44 having their upper ends suitably mounted to receive terminals from a respective track of the vibratory feeder, and having lower ends thereof mounted in openings in a cover plate 46. Similarly, the terminals 11 are fed to the other tubular passageways 34 from a second -multi-track vibratory feeder 47 on the right-hand side of the apparatus, as viewed in FIG. 2, through feed tubes 48. In operation, the vibratory feeders 43 and 47 are adjusted so that the terminals 11 exit from the feeder tracks into the feed tubes 44 and 48 in spaced succession, as for example at a rate of forty terminals per minute, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

The cover plate 46 is secured to the top of a block member 49 fixedly mounted on the top of the vertical support member 17, which is fixedly mounted adjacent its right-hand side, as viewed in FIG. 1, on a suitable upstanding base member. As is also shown in FIG. 1, the block member 42 is swingably mounted on the fixed block member 49 by means of a vertical hinge 51. The terminals 11 are fed from the vibratory feeders 43 and 47 through each of the feed tubes 44 and 48 into an upper passageway 52 defined by opposed slots in the hinged block 42 and the fixed block 49. The terminals 11 then feed vertically downward through the passageways 52 into respective ones of the tubular passageways 34 through the upper ends of the passageways 34, as noted herein-above. The hinged block 42 is retained in a closed position with respect to the fixed block 49, as shown in the drawing, by a screw 53 (FIG. 1) which projects through the hinged block for screw-threaded engagement in the fixed block. As in the case of the pivoted door 18, the hinged block 42 is pivotable to an open position with respect to the fixed block 49,.for the removal of jam-med terminals 11 from the passageways 52.

As is best shown in FIG. 2, each bent terminal ejecting mechanism 13 includes an air jet 54 mounted in the vertical support member 17 in communication with the lower portion of the respective tubular passageway 34. The air jet 54 is connected by an air line 56 to a compressed air supply 57 (FIG. 4) for the several ejecting mechanisms 13 through a normally closed air valve 58. When a bent terminal 11 in the passageway 34 closes its sensing circuit 12 to energize the solenoid 22 of the ejector mechanism 13,as above described, the solenoid opens the air valve 58 i to permit air to fiow from the air supply 57 to the air jet 54, to blow the bent terminal vertically upward out of the passageway through its upper end. Referring to FIG. 3, it is seen that flow of air into adjacent ones of the tubular passageways 34 during this ejecting operation is precluded by vertically extending seals 59, of a material such as rubber, bonded into vertical grooves in the pivoted door 18;

Bent terminal discharge chutes 61 for adjacent ones of the tubular passageways 34 are mounted on the cover plate 46 on each side of the apparatus opposite the feed,

- tubes 44 and 48, respectively. Each discharge chute 61 includes an inclined bottom plate 62 which is disposed in atapered slot in the cover plate 46, laterally spaced side plates 63, and an arcuate top plate 64, the several plates being secured together in a suitable manner, as by welding. In the ejection of a bent terminal 11 from one of the tubular passageways 34, as above described, the bent terminal, after passing out of the upper end of the tubular passageway, continues verticallyjupward in a substantially straight line through the aligned passageway 52 and a vertical discharge opening 66 (FIG. 2) in the cover plate 46 into the discharge chute 61. Subsequently, as is illus-,

trated in FIG. 2, after dropping onto the inclined bottom plate 62 of the discharge chute 61, the bent terminal 11 slides out of the chute into a suitable receptacle, not

shown.

It is necessary that the terminals 11 enter the upper passageways 52, and subsequently the tubular passageways 34, relatively slowly and in a smooth and uniform manner. If the terminals 11 are moving too rapidly, the tendency for bent terminals to become jammed in the tubular passageways 34 so tightly that they cannot be ejected by the air jets 54, is substantially increased. Further, the rapidly moving terminals 11 tend to bounce back and forth rapidly between the walls of the upper passage-. ways 52, and subsequently between thewalls of the tubular passageways 34 defined by the grooves 32 and 33, causing closing of the sensing circuits 12 and ejection of the terminals even though they are not defective.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, as is best shown in FIG. 2, the foregoing is accomplished by arranging the exit portions of the feed tubes 44 and 48 adjacent the cover plate 46 as nearly vertical and in alignment with their respective tubular passageways 34 as possible, without interfering with the ejection of bent ones of the terminals 11, so that the tendency for the terminals to strike against the walls of the upper passageways 52 on entering the passageways, and to begin bouncing back and forth as above described, is substantially reduced. In addition, tab portions 44a and 48a of the tubes 44 and 48, formed by slitting the ends of the tubes longitudinally, are bent inwardly to form retarding and guide members for the terminals 11. For example, as each terminal 11 f ing through one of the tubes 44 into the respective upper passageway 52 reaches the exit end of the tube, it is engaged by the tab 44a of the tube and the tab slightly retards its movement so that it enters the upper passageway at a slightly slower rate. Primarily, however, the tab 44a guides theterminal 11 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, so that the terminal enters the upper passageway 52 in sliding engagement with an arcuate wall 49a of the fixed block member 49. Subsequently, as the terminal 11 proceeds down the upper passageway 52, it assumes a substantially vertical position so as to enter the aligned tubular passageway 34 in a relatively smooth and uniform manner.

In operation, the terminals 11 are fed from the vibratory feeders 43 and 47 in spaced succession through the feed tubes 44 and 48 into the upper passageways 52 defined by the opposed slots in the hinged block member 42 and the fixed block member 49. As the terminals 11 enter the upper passageways 52, they are engaged by the guide tabs 44a and 48a so that they enter the passageways at a slightly slower rate and in sliding engagement with the arcuate walls 49a of the fixed block member 49. As the terminals 11 then feed down through the passageways 52, they assume substantially vertical positions so as to enter the upper portions of the tubular passageways 34 (defined by the opposed semi-circular grooves 32 and 33 in the conductor bars 14 and the pivoted door 18, respectively) in a smooth and uniform manner.

The terminals 11 which are not bent beyond the preselected limits, and which thus will fit into the abovementioned mold, pass vertically downward through the tubular passageways 34 without engaging between the conductor bars 14 and the pivoted door 18 with sufiicient physical and electrical contact to close their respective senslng circuits 12, and ultimately pass downward through the lower tubes 37 for positioning in the mold, as described hereinabove.

One of the terminals 11 which is bent beyond the preselected limits, however, as it passes downward through one of the tubular passageways 34, engages between the respective conductor bar 14 and the pivoted door 18 with sufficient physical and electrical contact to close the sensing circuit 12 for the passageway. The closing of the sensing circuit 12 energizes the solenoid 22 of the bent terminal ejecting mechanism 13 for the tubular passageway 34, causing the solenoid to open the air valve 58 of the ejector mechanism. This permits air to flow from the air supply 57 to the air jet 54 of the the ejecting mechanism 13, to blow the bent terminal 11 vertically upward out of the tubular passageway 34 through its upper end.

The bent terminal 11 continues vertically upward from the tubular passageway 34 in a substantially straight line through the aligned upper passageway 52 and the discharge opening 66 into the respective discharge chute 61, from which it is discharged from the apparatus. In this connection, the vibratory feeders 43 and 47 feed the terminals 11 in spaced succession such that the spacing between the terminals in the feed tube 44 or 48, as the case may be, will be suificient to permit the bent terminal 11 to clear the upper end of the upper passageway 52 before a next succeeding terminal enters the upper passageway. Further in this regard, the air blast which propels the bent terminal 11 vertically upward during the ejecting operation also tends to travel vertically upward into the feed tube 44 or 48 to help delay entrance of the next succeeding terminal 11 from the feed tube into the passageway 52. Interference of the air blast with the terminals 11 in the other tubular passageways 34, however, is prevented by the air seals 59 (FIG. 3) on the pivoted door 18.

In the event that one of the terminals 11 becomes jammed in one of the upper passageways 52, the retaining screw 53 for the hinged block 42 is disengaged from the fixed block 49 and the hinged block is pivoted to an open position with respect to the fixed block for removal of the terminal. Similarly, if one of the terminals 11 be comes jammed in one of the tubular passageways 34, the hinged block 42 is pivoted to an open position to disengage the retaining screw 39 from the pivoted door 18 and the door then is pivoted to an open position for removal of the terminal.

While the tubular passageways 34 are shown in the drawing as substantially circular in cross section, it is to be understood that the term tubular is to be interpreted in its broad sense, and that the cross-sectional shape of the passageways 34 may be square, oval, rectangular or of any other suitable configuration. Further, while the tubular passageways 34 are shown as being of considerable length, the length of the passageways may be of any desired length which will accomplish the intended results.

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention which insures that terminals 111 which are being fed downward through a tubular passageway 134 defined by semi-circular grooves in a conductor bar 114 and a pivoted door 118, and which are not bent beyond the preselected limits, will not energize a sensing circuit 112 of which the conductor bar and the door form a part. In this embodiment of the invention, the opening of an air valve 158 of a bent terminal ejecting mechanism 113 for the ejection of a bent one of the terminals 111 from the tubular passageway 134 is controlled by a time delay relay 67 connected by a lead 121 to the conductor bar 114. The time delay of the relay 67 is at least equal to the time required for a non-defective terminal 111 to travel downward through the tubular passageway 134 to a point where it can no longer engage between the conductor bar 114 and the pivoted door 118, so that inadvertent making of the electrical connection between the conductor bar and the door by the terminal will not cause'the relay to energize a solenoid 122 to open the air valve 158. A bent one of the terminals 111, however, will close the sensing circuit 112, and after the relay 67 has timed out and become energized to close an associated contact 68 to energize the solenoid 122, the bent terminal will be ejected from the tubular passageway 134 in the same manner as described hereinabove in the embodiment of the invention in FIGS. 1-4.

While two embodiments of the invention has been disclosed, many other modifications will be apparent and it is intended that the invention be interpreted as including all modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles, which comprises:

a sensing circuit including a pair of electrically conducting members normally insulated from one another and defining a substantially tubular passageway of preselected dimensions representative of a desired characteristic of the electrically conducting articles, such that one of the articles which does not have the desired characteristic, upon being fed into the passageway, engages the members to form an electrical connection between the members to close said sensing circuit;

means for feeding the articles in spaced succession into one end of the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members; and

ejector means responsive to the closing of said sensing circuit by the article which does not have the desired characteristic, for ejecting the article from the substantially tubular passageway through the one end thereof before the next succeeding article is fed into the passageway by said feeding means.

2. Apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles which comprises:

a sensing circuit including a pair of electrically conducting members normally insulated from one another and defining a substantially tubular passageway of preselected dimensions representative of a desired characteristic of the electrically conducting articles, such that each of the articles which does not have the desired characteristic, upon being fed into the passageway, engages the members to form an electrical connection between the members to close said sensing circuit;

means for feeding the articles in spaced succession into one end of the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members so that articles which have the desired characteristic feed through the passageway;

air jet means for blowing each article which does not have the desired characteristic out of the one end of the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members before a next succeeding article is fed into the passageway by said feeding means; and

means responsive to the closing of said sensing circuit by each article which does not have the desired characteristic, for energizing said air jet means.

3. Apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles, as recited in claim 2, in which said energizing means includes an air valve and a solenoid in said sensing circuit for controlling said air valve.

4. Apparatus for sorting electrically conducting articles, as recited in claim 2, in which said energizing means has an operating time delay at least equal to the time necessary for an electrically conducting article which has the desired characteristic to feed through the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members.

5. Apparatus for sorting elongated, electrically conducting articles, which comprises:

a sensing circuit including a pair of electrically conducting members normally insulated from one another and defining a vertical, substantially tubular passageway of transverse dimensions such that each of the elongated, electrically conducting articles which is bent beyond preselected limits, upon being fed into the passageway, engages the members to form an electrical connection between the members to close said sensing circuit;

means for feeding the articles in spaced succession into one end of the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members, so that articles which are not bent beyond the preselected limits feed through and beyond said passageway along a predetermined path; and

means responsive to the closing of said sensing circuit by each article which is bent beyond the preselected limits, for diverting the bent article from the predetermined path.

6. Apparatus for sorting elongated, electrically conducting articles, which comprises:

a sensing circuit including a pair of vertically extending, electrically conducting members normally insulated from one another and defining a vertical, substantially tubular passageway of transverse dimensions such that each of the elongated, electrically conducting articles which is bent beyond preselected limits, upon being fed downward into the passageway, engages the members to form an electrical connection between the members to close said sensing circuit;

means for feeding the articles in spaced succession into an upper end of the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members so that articles which are not bent beyond the preselected limits feed through the passageway;

air jet means for blowing each article which is bent beyond the preselected limits upward out of the upper end of the substantially tubular passageway defined by the electrically conducting members before a next succeeding article is fed into the passagcr way by said feeding means; a valve controlling the passage of air from a source of compressed air to said air jet means; and

means energized by the closing of said sensing circuit 129,648 10/1948 Australia.

M. HENSON WOOD, ]R., Primary Examiner.

50 A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR SORTING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING ARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES: A SENSING CIRCUIT INCLUDING A PAIR OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MEMBERS NORMALLY INSULATED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR PASSAGEWAY OF PRESELECTED DIMENSIONS REPRESENTATIVE OF A DESIRED CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING ARTICLES, SUCH THAT ONE OF THE ARTICLES WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTIC, UPON BEING FED INTO THE PASSAGEWAY, ENGAGES THE MEMBERS TO FORM AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MEMBERS TO CLOSE SAID SENSING CIRUIT; MEANS FOR FEEDING THE ARTICLES IN SPACED SUCCESSION INTO ONE END OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR PASSAGEWAY DEFINED BY THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MEMBERS; AND EJECTOR MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE CLOSING OF SAID SENSING CIRCUIT BY THE ARTICLE WHICH DOES NOT HAVE THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTIC, FOR EJECTING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR PASSAGEWAY THROUGH THE ONE END THEREOF BEFORE THE NEXT SUCCEEDING ARTICLE IS FED INTO THE PASSAGEWAY BY SAID FEEDING MEANS. 